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Jeffry Hill built a business helping farmers take better care of their soils and crops.

After you figure out what fertilizers you need for your garden or yard, you need to apply them properly. Proper application is based on the method and the timing.

You can broadcast fertilizers evenly across the soil. You can also till them into seedbeds before planting the seeds. These simple ways of fertilizer application can allow you to prepare the soil for the next planting season. To provide nutrients in concentrated amounts, you can band fertilizers in trenches in the root zones of plants. This is where the seedlings need the nutrients most. This method is particularly useful when adding phosphorus because phosphorus usually gets absorbed slowly yet is critical in seedling establishment. Side dressing fertilizers are effective when providing nutrients to already established plants in the middle of the season. Liquid fertilizers such as fish emulsion are created for foliar application that provides an immediate boost of nutrients during the growing season to fix previously neglected nutrient shortages.

If your garden is small you can spread the fertilizers by hand using a bin, bucket or some other small container. For larger areas, you can get a special spreader such as a drop or a rotary spreader. These tools are available online and at local garden stores. Rotary spreaders can cover large areas very quickly but not always evenly. Drop spreaders are better if you want to cover an area with uniformity, but there is a danger of fertilizer band overlap that can lead to salt issues and growth obstruction. You may want to consult with an expert like Jeffry Hill to find a solution that is right for you.

Trench composting is a method of composting in which raw organic materials are placed directly into the soil. The soil then works like a compost bin.

Jeffry Hill

Trench composting brings food directly to soil organisms. It also provides plants with nutrients right in the root zone, where plants consume the nutrients. Just like other methods of composting in place, trench composting helps you save time and work less by not having to build and transport compost. Because with trench composting you place the materials directly into the soil, you won’t have to deal with pests, smells or unpleasant view of compost.

The only drawback of trench composting is decomposition time. Depending on the materials you add to your trench compost, you may need to wait up to a year before you can plant seeds into the trench compost. The simplest way to get started with trench composting is to dig a hole and empty your kitchen compost into it. The whole should be between nine and eleven inches deep. Once you fill the hole, cover it with soil. You can plant seeds directly into the hole one year later. If you want to increase the speed of decomposition, use your kitchen blender to crush your compost into smaller particles.

To check if the hole is ready for planting, simply dig up a part of it and take a look at what you can see. Agriculture experts like Jeffry Hill suggest that if you can’t recognize the materials that you put into the hole, then it’s ready for planting.

Testing a soil is a smart move because it will let you know if your soil has deficiencies in nutrients or has certain nutrients in excessive amounts.

The results of your test will come back from the lab in the form of a report. Different labs have different report templates, but most of the reports will have three main elements: the amount of each nutrient, the lab’s opinion whether the amount is low or high and the lab’s fertilization recommendations.

It is your job to interpret the results and figure out what they mean to you.

When a lab tests a soil it measures nutrients that are dissolved in soil water and are readily available to the plants and microorganisms. As you build organic matter and work on improving your living soil, most of the nutrients will migrate into the organic part of the soil. This means that lab report measurements will represent only a fraction of the nutrients that your soil actually contains. This is why your lab fertilizer suggestions will also be much higher than needed. However, if a report identifies a deficiency, it is most likely present in the living soil as well.

A full soil test report will contain information not only about soil properties, but also soil nutrients. Reports from certified laboratories usually show the actual percentages of clay, sand and silt. Organic matter is also reported as a percentage. If you are using the same lab over a number of years, this number will show you how well you are building the health of your soil, underlines Jeffry Hill.

Jeffry Hill is an agricultural consultant who helps farmers get better crops and fertilize their soils properly.

A soil is a complicated ecosystem that needs food, water and other nutrients. There is one single solution that provides all of that. This solution is organic matter.

Organic matter is defined as anything alive or anything dead that was once alive. For example, a piece of paper is organic matter because it once was a tree. A dead insect is an organic matter, too.

Organic matter captures and preserves resources such as water and nutrients. It changes the structure of a soil. It provides nutrients to both plants and living soil organisms.

You can think of organic matter as food for the soil. It provides the raw substance that plants and organisms use to build their bodies and tissues.

Decomposition is the rotting process occurring in organic matter. It starts with microorganisms feeding on the existing organic matter and excreting a new form of it. This process creates valuable nutrients and releases energy necessary to fuel the life of the soil. Your plants require this nutrition. They can’t grow without it. This is why by adding organic matter to the soil you literally feed both the soil and the plants.

In addition to being a food source, organic matter also preserves soil water. It is similar to a sponge that has a lot of pores and a lot of space inside. This is why organic matter can absorb huge amounts of water and release it into the soil when the weather is dry.

This sponge-like effect means that even a small amount of organic matter in the soil can significantly enhance its ability to store water and deliver it to the living organisms, mentions Jeffry Hill.

Jeffry Hill is a trustworthy expert on soil with years of experience in the agriculture business.

The living soil is a breathing, growing, digesting organism. To be more accurate, it is a combination of millions of different organisms. One teaspoon of soil contains more individuals than the populations of Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, London and Moscow combined.

This system works as a food source, lungs and a filter for the planet. Almost every molecule in our water, air and food goes through the soil at some point of its existence.

We almost never notice it, but the life in the top twelve inches of the ground creates the circumstances required for life to flourish above ground. Knowing this is the secret to successful farming and gardening.

The complexity of a soil can be explained by a simple statement: if you want healthy plants and foods, you need healthy soil.

Every soil-science class explains that a soil has four components. A half by volume consists of minerals. These are the tiny pieces of rocks that have been turned by rain, flowing water and wind over thousands of years into the bits that they are today.

Minerals are the nonliving foundation of the soil. Most of the other half of the soil consists of pore space. The size of pore space varies from large canals that are visible to the human eye to tiny microscopic channels. All of the pore space is filled with water and air. The quantity of water and air that fills the pore space changes depending on weather conditions and irrigation. Water usually stays on the sides of the hard soil and air fills the spaces in the middle.

Soil organic matter is all the substance in the soil that is currently alive or was alive at a certain point of its existence. The matter includes the leaves that fall from the trees, manure and so on. It also includes live plant roots and decayed roots from years or decades ago. Live and dead microorganisms, worms, spiders and so on are also a part of the organic soil matter. Even the cardboard and paper are a part of it because they were once a living tree.

Even though the organic part of the soil is very small by volume compared to the mineral and pore space parts, it plays a crucial role in determining almost all properties of a soil. It influences what you can do with a sandy soil. It raises the amount of water a soil can contain and when it the water is releases to plants. It even contains plant nutrients. A soil without organic matter is similar to a big piece of rock.

Even though organic matter plays such an important role, only five percent of it is alive. This equals to less than 0.5 percent of the entire soil, notes Jeffry Hill

Jeffry Hill loves animals and plants and cares about protecting them. He is passionate about caring for and protecting the environment. Everyone can do something to help the environment and it may be easier than you think. If you love the environment and want to help improve or protect it, these tips can help.

Recycle

Recycling is a great way to help protect the environment. Things that are thrown in the trash and not recycled end up in landfills where it takes them years to decompose. When you recycle you reduce waste and save products, resources, and energy. Anyone can recycle and even the smallest act can make a big different.

Plant More

Plants help the environment and the more you plant, the more you can help. Plant trees when possible and encourage others to do the same. By planting more trees and growing your own vegetables and fruits, you are helping the environment prosper and helping to reduce global warming.

Conserve Water

Water is often overused and many people don’t realize that it needs to be conserved. Take shorter showers, turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth and collect rainwater to water your outside plants. By saving water, you are helping to protect the environment.

Jeffry Hill knows that it is important for everyone to do their part and help protect and improve the environment. If you care about plants, animals and nature and want to do the right thing, make sure you consider the tips above.

Jeffry Hill is passionate about plants and agriculture. He is passionate about the environment and enjoys growing things. If you want to start a garden or grow your own veggies, follow the tips below to increase your success.

Choose The Right Location

Certain crops and veggies need more sun than others so it is important to consider what you are growing and choose a location that matches the needs of the crop. The right amount of sunlight is crucial to growing plants and too much sun can burn them.

Choose The Right Soil

The type of soil you have in your garden is important. You want to make sure the soil is healthy and full of nutrients. Some vegetables require a dry soil while others do better in soil that contains clay or small gravel. Make sure you soil matches the needs of your plants.

Choose The Right Time

Vegetables need to be planted at specific times in order to grow properly. Some need to be planted in the fall and others in early spring. Make sure you follow the planting instructions of your seeds or crops to ensure that your plants grow easily and healthily.

Jeffry Hill knows that growing your own veggies can be fun and rewarding and he is always quick to offer help and advice to farmers. If you want to grow your own veggies the tips above can help you grow the strongest and healthiest crops possible.